Apparatus for extruding seamless brass and copper tubes



June 2, 1931. N. R. MUNSON APPARATUS FOR EXTBUDING SEAMLESS BRASS ANDCOPPER TUBES Filed Jan. 17. 1930 2 sheets-sheet l ATTORNE June 2, 1931.N, R MUNSQN l '1,808,370

APPARATUS FOR EXTRUDING SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER TUBES Filed Jan. 17,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR liatentediJune 2, 1931 I UNITED STATESLPMEN'I-v OFFICE N'YLE R. MUNSO-NVOF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT APPARATUSF013. EXTRUDING snAMLEss BRASS AND corran TUBES Appiication mea January17, 1930. serial Nb. 421,344.

continuously drawing away the solid tube thus formed. l j

One object of thisinvention is to provide an apparatus of the abovenature including a vessel containing molten metal and located within afurnace, said vessel having a die plug at its lower end through whichthe molten metal ows under high pressure into a tubular casing.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in whichthe molten metal iiowing from said die plug is continuously congealedwithin a surrounding casing and drawn out therefrom by a draw bench orother suitable device.

A further object is to provide an apparatus lofthe above nature in whichthe'congealing casing is provided with an end cap to prevent the escapeof molten metal from the end of the casing at the beginning of the tubeform- 2'5".v ing process.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above naturewherebyseamless tubing of metal, such as copper and copper alloys,

may be produced directly from"molten metal without making cores, castingor scalping billets, and in which the repeated pointing, annealing anddrawing operations formerly required in the production of tubes areentirelyeliminated.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the abovenature whichwill be relatively4 simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture,.easy to manipulate, compact, and

'very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings one form in which the invention may beconvenientljT embodied inpractice.

Fig.\1 represents a longitudinal` vertical sectional View taken throughthe apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional apparatus.

i view taken through the delivery end of the The vessel 10 1s providedat its top with a l removable cover-plug 11 through which molten metal12 maybe poured therein. The

numeral 13 indicates a pipe through which compressed air may besupplied'for forcing the molten metal 12 out of the pot through a bottomoutlet die plug 14 having a conical outer surface for releasably fittingwithina conical opening 15 in the bottom of the ves- The die plug 141sprovided with an @10uf gated mandrel 16 formed integral therewith andextending away from said vessell 10. T he mandrel 16 is surrounded by acylindrical casing 17, the outer endof whichis provided with a pluralityof outwardly extending lugs 18 for detachable engagement with' vaplurality of inwardly extending lugs 19 formed in a cap member 20, saidcap member vhaving a shoulder 21 for tting loosely against the annular'extremity 22 of the casing 17.

AIn order to cool the end portion of the `casing 17, provision is madeof a water-jacket 23, through which water is circulated by means of aninlet pipe 24 and an outlet pipe 25. By the use ofthe water jacket 23,the molten'metal 12 iowin'g into the casing 17 will be caused to congealin tubular form in thespace between the mandrel 16 and the outer portionof the tubular casing 17 surrounded by said water jacket 23. The outletdie plug 14 has an arc-shaped curved lower aperture 26 (see-Fig. 5) forconnecting the interior of the vessel 10 with the tube forming spacewithin the casing 17 In order to center the mandrel 16 accurately withinthe casing 17, provision is made of a plurality of adjustable scew bolts27 four leo j `31 is adapte in number in this instance, which'areadapted to be screwed into corresponding threaded apertures in thecasing 17 at a point intermediate between the plug 14 and the cap 2Owhere the metal is still in the molten condition.

In order to detachably hold the casing 17 tightly against the opening 15of the vessel 10 surrounding the die plug 14, the casing 17 is providedwith an enlarged collar 28 adapted to beembraced by a pair of elongatedjaws 29 forming an integral part of said vessel 10, said jaws 29 havinginturned ends 30, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. After the collar 28 of thecasing 17 has been arranged wi-thin the jaws 29 in the position shown inFi 2, a vertical U-shaped wedge to be driven downwardly between thecollar 28 and the inturned ends 30 of the jaws 29 until the casing 17has been forced against the vessel 10 with asuflicient degree' oftightness to prevent -leakage of molten metal.

. The vessel 10 is preferably enclosed within a furnace 32, preferablyoil-burning, for maintaining the temperature in the vessel 10 above themelting point of the metal being employed. The exhaust gases from theburning of the oil are adapted .-to leave the furnace through ahorizontal :passage 33 controlled by a damper 34.

In order to permit the entire length of the casing 17 to be heated bythe hot gases in the furnace 32 when the molten metal is first lpouredinto the vessel 10 so that saidmolten metal will completely fill thecasing 17 and cap 20, the furnace 32 -is pro-V *videdA with areducedsection 34a, in which a rectangular end-door 35 and a U.shape dinner door 36 are located. The door 36 v1s located just inside theposition of the Waterjacket 23 and is connected by a chain 37 to saidend-door 35, said chain being ada ted to ride over a pair of pulleys 38and 39, t e latter pulley having an operating handle 40.

By means of this construction 1t will be seen that when the operatordesires to close the door 36 and open the door 35, it will only benecessary to rotate the handle 40 in a counter-clockwise direction, theweight 'of the door 36 causing it to move downwardlyl into the positionshown in Fig. 3, after which water will be supplied to the jacket 23.The heat being thus removed therefrom the end of the casing and the cap20 will then berapidly cooled and the metal therewithin will becongealed to form a solid plug 41 which may be readily engaged by theprongs of a drawbench, not shown. Any air contained in the casing willescape through the loose joint between the cap shoulder 21 and the4casing ex tremity 22.

Operation l In operation molten metal 12 will irst be poured into thevessel 10 to the desired level and the cover plug 11 clamped securely inposition. The doors 35 and 36 will then oc cupy the relative positionsshown in Fi 1, the water jacket 23 being empty. ompressed air will thenbe admitted through the pipe 13 and the metal Awill flow rapidly throughthe aperture 26 in the die plug 14 into the space in the casing 17surrounding the mandrel 16, completely fillingthe casing 17 and cap 20.

The operator will then rotate the handle 40 in a counter-clockwisedirection causing the U-shaped door 36 to drop and the rectangular outerdoor 35 to rise, said doors then occupying the relative positions shownin Fig. 3. A supply of cooling water will then be admitted to the jacket23 surrounding the end of the casing 17, through the inlet pipe 24, saidwater being withdrawn through the outlet pipe 2 5. This will cause themetal within the cap 20 and the end portion of the casing I17 to rapidlycongeal, as shown in Fig. 1. until the lugs 19 thereon are out ofalinement with the lugs 18 on the end of the casing 17, whereupon thecap may be readily removed by pulling it outwardly.

The Vtongs of the draw-bench will then be clamped over the solid plug 41forming the end of the tube, and the completed seamless tube will vbecontinuously drawn out of the casing 17 as rapidly as it is congealedtherein.

It will,` be understood that casings and mandrels of various differentsizes' may be interchangeably connected to the apparatus in order `toproduce a tube of any desired interior and exterior diameters.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form isshown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified andembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifica-tions and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims. I

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for continuously casting a metal tube, a vesselcontaining a supply of molten metal, a casing connected with Theoperator will then twist the cap 20 said vessel, a mandrel within saidcasing, a

water jacket and the outer lsection of said casing "from the hot gasesof said furnace.

2. In an apparatus for continuously casting a metal tube, a heatedvessel containing a supply of molten metal and having an outlet in itslower portion, a tubular casing connected to said vessel and surroundingsaid outlet, an apertured die plug fitted into said outlet, an elongatedstationary mandrel -se'-A cured to said die plug, means tocause saidmetal to congeal in tubular shape in said casing around said mandrel,whereby the congealed tube may be continuously drawn out of said casing.

3. In an apparatus for continuously casting a metal tube, a heatedvessel containing a supply of molten metal and having an outlet in itslower portion, a tubular casing connected to said vessel and surroundinsaid outlet, and apertured die plug fitted in o said outlet, anelongated stationary mandrel integral with said die plug, means to causesaid metal to congeal in tubular y"shape in said casing around saidmandrel, whereby the congealed tube may be continuously drawn out ofsaid casing. Y 1 f 4. In an apparatus orvcontinuously casting a metaltube, a vessel containing-a supply of molten metal, a casingconnected-with said vessel, a mandrel within said casing, means forcooling said casing to cause the metal tocongeal in the outer en'dthereof, whereby a solid tube may be continuously drawn .from

said casing, and a cap member for initially closing the outer end ofsaid casing and causing the formation of a solid plug on the eX- tremityof said tube when the molten metal is lirst admitted to -said casing. j

5. In an apparatus ,for continuously casting a seamless metal tube, acasing having a erally therefrom around said casing,\said jaws havinginwardly extending lugs for engag- 8. In an apparatus for continuouslycastving a seamless metal tube, a heated vessel containing molten metal,said vessel yhaving a side outlet in its lower portion, a casing h avingan enlarged shoulder surrounding said outlet, a mandrel within saidcasing, said casing having a plurality of jaws extending laterallytherefrom around said casing, said jaws having inwardly extending lugsfor engaging said casing, and a U-shapedwedgeA member fitting aroundsaid casing and adapted to be ydriven between said enlarged shoulder andsaid lugs,A whereby said casing will have a tight joint with saidvessel.

9. In an apparatus-for continuously casting a seamless. metal tube, aheated vessel containing moltenmetal, said vessel having a side outletin its lower portion, a casing hav- Y ing an enlarged inner endsurrounding said.

outlet, a mandrel within sald casing, said-casing having a plurality ofaws extending laterally therefrom around said casing, said jaws havinginwardly extending lugs for engaging said casing, and a wedge memberfitting around said casingand adapted to be driven between said enlargedinner end and said lugs, whereby said vcasing will have a tight jointwith said vessel. l

In. testimonywhereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

MUNSON.

YLE R.

stationaryA mandrel located therewithin,

means for supplying molten metal to one end of said Casin said metalbeing caused to congeal into tu ular shape within said casing and aroundsaid mandrel, whereby said congealed tube may be continuously drawn outof the other end of said casing.

6. In an apparatus for continuously castl ing a metal tube, a casinghaving a stationary mandrel located therewithin, means for supplyingmolten metal to one end of said casing, means for cooling said casing tocause the metal to congeal intotubular shape around said mandrel,whereby said congealed tube may be continuously drawn out of the otherend of said casing, and adjustable means in said casing for engagingsaid interior mandrel to vary the position thereof.

l 7. In an apparatus for continuously casting a seamless metal tube, aheated v ssel containing molten metal, said vessel aving a side outletin its lower portion, a casing having an enlarged inner end surroundingsaid outlet, a mandrel within said casing, said vessel having aplurality of jaws extending lat-

